The present invention is directed to pleasure boat trailers, and in particular to wheel assemblies for supporting a boat hull on a trailer.
Hull engaging roller systems are useful in conforming to hull orientation and thereby facilitating the loading and unloading of a boat on a trailer. It is well recognized that the boat supporting members of a trailer structure should conform to the boat hull contour so that pressures exerted thereby are distributed over the hull, and localized stress is avoided. Such boat supporting members include roller elements, being often secured to a cross bar structure mounted on the trailer frame. In addition to roller elements, modern boat trailer design has included a series of hull support wheels mounted for rotation on individual axles formed as part of a cradle configuration of hull support wheels.
Chambers, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,092, show boat roller wheels where a roller wheel support arm assembly pivots to meet hull conformation. Chambers uses a plurality of axle washers and outer transverse axle pins to hold a wheel to an axle. The Chambers axle pins limit the longitudinal movement of a wheel along an axle spindle to a limited tolerance of xe2x80x9cplayxe2x80x9d. Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,515, also shows a pivoting roller support arm. Johnson shows a roller wheel quick mount and disassembly. He incorporates an inner axle washer butting against a shoulder on the axle spindle, and an outer end clip ring retainer, i.e., retention ring, for attaching each roller wheel to its axle spindle. Here Johnson does not address the amount of xe2x80x9cplayxe2x80x9d he permits in his wheel mounting, but generally illustrates no longitudinal xe2x80x9cplayxe2x80x9d with his metal retention clip and his axle washer tight against his plastic wheel hub.
The ease of mounting and replacing hull support roller wheels on boat trailers has been a design consideration, as these rollers are often xe2x80x9cwear partsxe2x80x9d. The mounting and design of boat trailer support roller wheels and the roller wheel configuration has been the focus of much attention. The mounting for movement of a wheel on an axle has provided a number of designs even beyond those specific to boat hull support roller wheels.
Ewald, U.S. Pat. No. 1,011,334, shows a two-piece sleeve bushing assembly for mounting a wheel to an axle. Outer and inner sleeves fit into each other and are held together with an annular end cap, which carries screw threads for mating with the end of the outer sleeve. Sawdon, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 219,413 also uses a hub to hold a wheel on an axle spindle. An inboard setscrew binds the wheel to the axle. An outboard threaded cap screws onto the threaded outer end of the Sawdon wheel hub and is fixed with its own setscrew.
Hartung, U.S. Pat. No. 966,331, shows a closed end axle box for mounting a wheel to a tapered axle. The axle box is held in place with an inboard axle cap screwed into engagement with the inboard end of the axle box. This cap is in turn held fast to the axle with a transverse cotter pin.
The boat trailer hull conformation by adjusting the roller wheels, in some instances, has been achieved, by the gimbaling or articulating of the hull support wheels. This roller wheel rocker motion is usually accomplished with a rocker-style bushing. Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,502, show two variations of a rounded bushing assembly, which engages his axle shaft. Johnson uses a retention clip ring on his outboard end of axle spindle and a retention ring or retention washer on the inboard end of his axle spindle, similar to his previous patent. Unlike the wheel mounts discussed above, however, these two gimbaled Johnson wheel mounts permit the wheel to move longitudinally along the axle spindle a certain distance. This shifting of the Johnson wheel along his axle spindle can create friction and wear, which in turn can accelerate the need for wheel and/or axle spindle replacement or repair.
Buchanan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,459, shows a further wheel mount in which an inner and outer sleeve slide into one another, with each sleeve having a radially projecting annular stop flange. Buchanan mounts his wheel roller material directly to his outer sleeve so that when the wheel is assembled the sleeves form the hub for the wheel. The inner sleeve flange forms a stop against a tapered inboard shoulder on the axle spindle. Buchanan, likewise permits longitudinal movement of his wheel along his axle spindle which accelerates wear.
Godbersen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,312, combines gimble (articulation) with an axle spindle end cap, which acts as a gimbal bushing. The Godbersen end cap has a barrel-shaped rocker section with abutment points on either end. This rocker section rides within the inside of the wheel hub. This end cap is held fixed to the outer end of his axle spindle with a retention clip and longitudinal movement is permitted which causes the adjacent shoulder of his rocker section to abut the wheel hub. Diametrically opposed axle projections keep the wheel from migrating too far inboard on the axle spindle.
Boat trailer roller wheels have benefited from axle end caps, which are used to hold a wheel from coming off an axle. Depending upon design, these end caps can also reduce the amount of dirt, which accumulates on the wheel bushing or bearing. End caps have taken various forms as those discussed above. An end cap can also be incorporated as part of a wheel bushing structure. Kapp, U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,807, shows a combination bushing and end cap. A cylindrical sleeve bushing slides over the spindle end of a wheel axle and is secured at a location on the inside of the wheel with an axle set screw. The Kapp sleeve bushing end cap acts as a wheel mounting keeper cap to abut the wheel hub to keep the wheel on its axle.
As boat trailer appearance has become more important, manufacturers have begun to place various insignia, such as emblems and product designations, on various boat trailer structural members. One readily acceptable mounting position for these insignia has been wheel hubs. In so doing, separate wheel hubs or hubcaps have been employed.
What is desired is a boat trailer hull support wheel hubcap for carrying an insignia.
What is secondly desired is such an insignia carrying wheel hubcap, which is incorporated as a part of a wheel bushing.
What is also desired is such a wheel bushing, which holds the wheel on the axle spindle and which is fixed to the axle spindle in a predetermined orientation.
What is further desired is such a wheel bushing that is easily mounted on the axle and easily removed from the axle.
These objectives of the present invention are realized in a boat trailer, hull support, roller wheel mounting system that relies upon an oriented roller wheel bushing. The system includes a roller support arm for each wheel, which support arm acts as the axle for mounting a respective wheel. Each roller support arm is shaped to include a predetermined rotational position index. The bushing is fitted on the end of each support arm, and has an outside cylindrical wall on which a wheel hub is mounted for rotation. The inside bore of each bushing is shaped to match the indexing of the support arm. Each oriented bushing has a closed end, which fixes the extension of the bushing on a support arm, when installed on the end thereof.
The oriented indexed bushing includes a closed end cap formed by an annular projection. The inboard face of the bushing end cap projection retains the wheel on the bushing and acts as a longitudinal thrust surface against which the wheel hub acts.
A quick release retainer ring fixes the bushing on the support arm. This retainer ring also acts as the inboard longitudinal position stop for the wheel as the wheel hub can butt against it when the wheel moves inwardly on the bushing. With a bushing installed on a support arm, the mating indexing structure between the support arm and the bushing, acts against the rotational thrust imparted to the bushing and thereby relieves the retainer ring from being subjected to any rotational thrust. This rotational thrust can be quite large when a wheel is caused to rotate under a heavy load. Removing it (rotational thrust) from the retainer ring, permits a smaller ring to be used, or when a larger ring is use, permits an extended life for that retainer ring.
The fixed and predetermined positive orientation of the bushing with respect to the support arm establishes a predetermined orientation of the end cap when the system is assembled. This permits an insignia to be placed on the outside face of the end cap with assurance that it will always have a predetermined orientation, the insignia when the system is assembled and a wheel rotates.